Results 5,161-5,180 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: As stated in response to previous Questions, the Government has for many years, largely through the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, committed significant resources to assessing the extent of the radon problem throughout the country and to highlighting public awareness of radon and the health risks associated with radon. In reply to Question No. 607 of 1 November 2006, I outlined...

Written Answers — Library Projects: Library Projects (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57, 71 and 111 together. The Government has provided some €90.2 million, through my Department towards the local authority public library service over the years 1997 to 2006. On foot of this expenditure, supplemented by local authorities from their own resources, 57 new library buildings will have been opened by the end of 2006. In addition, the investment...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: The Kyoto Protocol requires that, the then 15 Member States in the European Union must reduce their aggregate emissions by 8% on 1990 levels during the 2008-2012 Kyoto commitment period. There is no equivalent joint commitment for the current 25 Member States. Under burden-sharing arrangements agreed by the EU in 2002, Ireland must limit its emissions to not greater than 13% above 1990...

Written Answers — Strategic Development Zones: Strategic Development Zones (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: Under Part IX of the Planning and Development Act 2000, the Government may by Order, on foot of a proposal from the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, designate a site or sites as a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) to facilitate development considered, in the Government's opinion, to be of economic or social importance to the State. Before proposing the designation...

Written Answers — Electoral Spending Limits: Electoral Spending Limits (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: Section 32 of the Electoral Act 1997, as amended, specifies the maximum amounts of expenditure which may be incurred on behalf of a candidate at a Dáil election. The amounts are €25,394.76 in a 3 seat constituency; €31,743.45 in a 4 seat constituency; and €38,092.14 in a 5 seat constituency. Section 3 of the Act provides that these amounts may be varied, by order of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Land Rezoning: Land Rezoning (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: Section 10 (2) (a) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides that a planning authority's development plan shall include objectives for the zoning of land for the use solely or primarily of particular areas for particular purposes (whether residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, as open space or otherwise, or a mixture of those uses). Also, Section 13 (1) of...

Written Answers — e-Government Projects: e-Government Projects (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: Substantial progress has been made in my Department on the implementation of e-Government. Vehicle ownership and taxation represent my Department's largest area of direct service provision to citizens and, at an early stage, the Government's Information Society Action Plan identified motor tax as a priority area for electronic service delivery. The motor tax online service, available at...

Written Answers — Public Service Charges: Public Service Charges (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: Local authorities are required to recover non-domestic water services costs from users including farm installation. Relevant costs to be recovered include marginal capital costs and operational, administrative and meter installation costs. Following a pilot billing project in one local authority area, and having regard to discussions conducted with farming representatives, I am arranging for...

Written Answers — Sustainable Development Strategy: Sustainable Development Strategy (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: The Ten Year Framework Social Partnership Agreement, Towards 2016, includes a commitment to publishing a renewed National Sustainable Development Strategy by mid 2007. Ireland's first sustainable development strategy, Sustainable Development — A Strategy for Ireland was published in 1997. A review of the Strategy, Making Ireland's Development Sustainable, was published in 2002, ahead of the...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67, 102, 137 and 165 together. The provision and improvement of non-national roads is a matter for local authorities to be funded from their own resources supplemented by State grants provided by my Department. There have been significant increases in recent years in the level of State aid provided to local authorities for the provision, improvement and...

Written Answers — Wildlife Act: Wildlife Act (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: Section 36 provides for the possibility of ministerial regulation of commercial shoot operators. This section, which is permission in scope, has not yet been commenced because of the increasing demands of other higher priority nature conservation requirements, in particular those associated with the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997.

Written Answers — Electoral Fraud: Electoral Fraud (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 154 together. In law, the preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter for each local registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register; house to house or other sufficient enquiries must be made for this purpose. In April 2006, I...

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: Work on implementation of the majority recommendations of the Working Group which was established to review the management of dog breeding establishments is currently underway in my Department. The process includes the development of standards for relevant dog breeding establishments and the drafting of new Regulations under the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 and 1992. The work will be...

Written Answers — Public Service Charges: Public Service Charges (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72, 151 and 162 together. Government policy envisages full and transparent cost recovery of water services supplied to the non-domestic sector. The policy also provides for the continued funding of the cost of providing water and waste water infrastructure to domestic users through the capital budget of my Department and, in the case of operational costs,...

Written Answers — Register of Electors: Register of Electors (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 101, 115, 132 and 157 together. In law, the preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter for each local registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register; house to house or other sufficient enquiries must be made for this purpose. In April...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74, 92, 105, 159, 538, 539, 543 and 544 together. Details of water services schemes approved by my Department are set out in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007 which is available in the Oireachtas Library. Earlier this year my Department asked all local authorities to provide updated assessments of their needs for additional water...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75, 78, 79, 82, 112, 119, 141, 152 and 509 together. The Commission on Electronic Voting concluded in its Second Report on the Secrecy, Accuracy and Testing of the Chosen Electronic Voting System, which was published on 4 July 2006, that it can recommend the voting and counting equipment for use at elections in Ireland, subject to further work it has...

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: Statutory responsibility for the implementation of the regional waste management plans, including the provision of recycling infrastructure, rests with the local authority (or local authorities) concerned and my Department has no function in this regard. However, since 2002 my Department has allocated over €90 million in capital grants to assist local authorities in the provision of...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 525 together. In addition to the Carbon Fund Bill 2006, which has just been published, I intend early in 2007 to publish a Housing Bill which will deal, inter alia, with revised tenant purchase arrangements (including sale of local authority apartments), the Rental Accommodation Scheme and local authority powers to deal with ant-social behaviour, and an...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (12 Dec 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department published Residential Density Guidelines for Planning Authorities in 1999, aimed at improving the quality in new housing by supporting more compact and sustainable forms of residential development. The thrust of the Guidelines was to promote higher residential density at appropriate locations particularly in conjunction with improved public transport systems. My Department...